Iraqis carrying posters of Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, file photo (AP)
Shiite Leader Calls for Weapons-Free Najaf Story aired: Thursday, August 26, 2004
Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani's convoy re-entered the besieged city of Najaf, surrounded by thousands of supporters.
A ceasefire has been declared in the city, where three weeks of fighting between U.S. soldiers, Iraqi police and insurgents led by radical cleric Muqtada Al Sadr have left scores of civilians dead. Nearly 30 more people were killed today when mortar shells hit a mosque in nearby Kufa.
Guests:
Rajiv Chandrasekaran, The Washington Post.
Fawaz Gerges, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and International Relations, Sarah Lawrence College
